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Jordan Hollander
CEO @ HotelTechReport
Jordan is the co-founder of Hotel Tech Report, the hotel industry's app store where millions of professionals discover tech tools to transform their businesses. He was previously on the Global Partnerships team at Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Prior to his work with SPG, Jordan was Director of Business Development at MWT Hospitality and an equity analyst at Wells Capital Management. Jordan received his MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management where he was a Zell Global Entrepreneurship Scholar and a Pritzker Group Venture Fellow.
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QUICK SUMMARY
We know that finding the best property management system for your hotel is tough - that's why we surveyed 7770 hoteliers across 135 countries to create this in-depth guide and help you find the best fit Hotel PMS for your business. Inside you’ll find everything you need to know including top vendors, feature comparisons, price benchmarking, required integrations and more.
Here at HotelTechReport our job is to help you find the best software for your hotel as quickly and painlessly as possible. Whether you are moving hotel operations from pen and paper into the cloud, upgrading from a legacy on premise solution or developing a new property and are looking for the most cutting edge tech at a fair price - this guide is designed to help you find the best hotel PMS software for your business. Below you'll find hotel PMS system comparisons, a free buying guide to PMS hotel software, features comparisons, pricing, PMS software examples and even a free fit finder (e.g. find the best PMS system for small hotels like mine).
Hotel Property Management Systems Shortlist
Here are 10 of the Property Management Systems that are covered in this in-depth guide:
A hotel PMS helps hoteliers manage rates and reservations, check-ins/checkout, housekeeping, maintenance & more. Modern hotel PMS systems like Cloudbeds and Mews automate room assignments, process payments & integrate booking channels.
Choosing the right Property Management Systems for your hotel depends on several variables some of which come down to personal preference but most of which come down to the characteristics of your property. Is your hotel a small property with limited budget? Or is your property a luxury resort with lots of outlets and high ADR? Below are HTR’s defined key personas based on common property characteristics that typically indicate similar product choices.
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A property management system (PMS) is a hotel management software suite that property owners and front desk workers use to manage their business by coordinating reservations, online booking availability, payments, and reporting in one central place.
The Hotel PMS streamlines operations for front office staff and guest services in a hotel business to check-in and check-out guests, see room availability, make adjustments to existing reservations, and even can have back office functionality (schedule housekeeping or maintenance). With a central system, hoteliers can better manage and monitor the key metrics needed to run their business (e.g. average daily rate, occupancy, and RevPAR).
Operational efficiency and cost control. Property management software or hotel PMS is the backbone of hospitality industry operations; the PMS eliminates costly overbookings by managing room availability, coordinates with any connected channel managers to improve room occupancy, accepts payments, and performs key day-to-day functions such as transferring guests, updating room rates, and managing housekeeping tasks.
Automation and intelligence. The PMS can automate and improve a hotel’s business operations by providing competitive intelligence, automatically adjusting prices based on availability, and providing analytics and reporting functionality.
Guest experience enhancement. The PMS enhances the guest experience by remembering customer preferences and sending pre and post-stay communications.
System integration and extensibility. Many PMS systems can also integrate with other technologies such as point of sale systems, payment processors, hardware manufacturers, and guest experience software.
Managing a hotel is no easy feat, but thanks to technology, hoteliers can now rely on hotel property management systems (PMS) to make daily operations more efficient and streamlined. A PMS is a software solution that offers a range of features to manage a hotel's front desk operations, room statuses, maintenance requests, and financial reports.
Whether you're running a boutique property or a multi-property portfolio, the right PMS brings all your operations into one unified platform. Below are the critical features to look for when evaluating a hotel PMS.
🧾 User-friendly interface. Train your staff quickly and can reduce the likelihood of errors. The best PMS solutions today are self-service and help to streamline operations by enabling hospitality businesses to check in guests faster. Many modern platforms can even be operated from a mobile device via mobile app.
🏁 Check-in/check-out. Guests and modify guest reservations – Keep track of guest profiles and move them around as needed keeps you on top of your reservations and reduces the likelihood of overbookings.
📅 Central dashboard. See what is happening, what needs to be done today, and monitor your key metrics. View reservation management details in your PMS solution.
💼 Personalized taxes, fees, and policies. Customize taxes, fees, and cancellation policies in the combination that best suits your business.
💬 Messaging and notifications. A PMS can offer messaging and notifications to guests and staff, which can help improve the guest experience and streamline communication.
📧 Guest communication. Improve the guest experience with automated pre- and post-stay communications.
📮 Post-stay feedback. A PMS can help hoteliers collect and manage guest feedback after checkout, which is valuable for improving service quality and reputation management.
⭐ Guest experience and upselling. A function that enables messaging and mobile app integration to provide self-service options, upsell amenities, and personalize the guest experience.
🔧 Maintenance upgrades. A feature that allows hoteliers to manage maintenance requests and upgrades efficiently within the platform to reduce room downtime and improve guest satisfaction.
🧩 Customizable templates. A PMS can offer customizable templates for workflows, housekeeping management, work orders, and financial reports. This feature can help property owners tailor the software to their specific needs.
📈 Revenue management. A PMS can offer revenue management functionality to help set pricing and maximize occupancy. This feature can help hoteliers make data-driven decisions to optimize revenue, which can be crucial for improving the financial performance of a hotel.
📑 Reporting suite. Generate detailed production and financial reports to improve business operations. Helps property managers understand booking channels.
💳 Payment processing. Ability to take credit card payments in compliance with local and global regulatory standards.
📜 Government compliance. Comply with local tax reporting requirements and regulations.
🔗 Integrations. A PMS can integrate with other systems, such as channel managers, booking engines, and payment gateways. This integration can help manage distribution channels, online payments, and direct bookings, which can be crucial for maximizing revenue.
🌐 Channel manager and distribution channels. A tool that integrates with multiple booking channels, such as OTAs, GDS, and the hotel website to maximize occupancy and revenue.
📱 Mobile app. A mobile app is also a valuable feature of a hotel PMS. A mobile app can enable staff to manage daily operations from their smartphones, which can help staff work more efficiently and respond to guest needs in real-time.
⚙️ Automation. A PMS can automate many daily operations such as check-in, check-out, and payment processing. This feature can save time and reduce errors, which can be crucial in delivering an excellent guest experience.
🧠 User-friendliness and interactivity. A PMS should have an intuitive interface and easy-to-use features that can help staff quickly learn the software and reduce the learning curve.
📊 Real-time data. A PMS should provide real-time data on room statuses, occupancy, and financial metrics. This feature can help hoteliers make data-driven decisions and respond to changes in real-time.
☁️ Cloud-based PMS. A PMS software solution that is hosted on the cloud to enable remote access and flexibility in management.
🛎️ Front desk and check-in. A feature that streamlines the check-in process and provides front desk staff with a user-friendly interface to manage day-to-day hotel operations.
Your hotel's property management system (PMS) is an indispensable tool for managing daily operations in the hospitality industry. A hotel PMS software solution should have key features such as automation, integrations, revenue management, messaging, mobile app, customizable templates, user-friendly interface, real-time data, maintenance upgrades, and post-stay feedback. By using a hotel PMS, hoteliers can improve the guest experience, maximize revenue, and streamline their daily operations.
There are certain types of property management systems (PMS) used in hotels that have key features, functionalities, and advantages. Understanding them is crucial when considering the right choice of technology to help effectively manage hotel operations and guest satisfaction. Here are two main types of hotel PMS:
On-Premise Hotel PMS: It’s installed on servers located in the hotel and is available on every computer from which hoteliers can access the PMS. It provides the security of data that is stored on-site, but its maintenance and security is attributed to the hotel.Ongoing maintenance and technical support from the hotel's IT team will be required to maintain functionality
Cloud-Based Hotel PMS: A cloud-based PMS simplifies all day-to-day tasks because hotel staff can access the system from anywhere with an internet connection, so data is always up-to-date. The convenient thing is that the maintenance costs are low
Pricing for cloud-based PMS products is typically based on how many rooms or properties utilize the system. Many PMS vendors provide calculators on their websites to help estimate your monthly or annual cost. Keep in mind that some systems may charge additional fees on top of the monthly subscription.
PMS pricing ranges (per room/month)
Budget PMS solutions typically cost between $3 and $8 per room, per month. These systems scale with your room count or occupancy and are ideal for smaller properties such as bed and breakfasts, inns, or independent hotels with limited operational complexity.
Premium PMS platforms generally range from $10 to $20+ per room, per month. These systems scale with room count, property size, and feature depth. They’re best suited for boutique hotels, upscale properties, or multi-property groups that need more advanced capabilities, integrations, or support.
Standard PMS pricing includes the core property management features most hotels need: reservations, front desk operations, housekeeping coordination, and performance reporting.
Pricing at the higher end of the range typically reflects more all-inclusive PMS platforms that bundle in additional tools such as an integrated channel manager, booking engine, CRM and guest engagement modules, revenue management functionality, or premium support services.
Actual pricing will vary depending on the number of rooms, contract length, included features, integration requirements, and the level of service provided by the vendor.
While most PMS platforms advertise a base monthly rate, many vendors charge additional fees or offer premium feature bundles that can significantly increase your total cost. Below is a breakdown of common add-on costs and the types of features that typically justify pricing at the higher end of the spectrum (e.g. $20–25+ per room/month).
Fee or Feature |
Description / Impact on Cost |
---|---|
Commission on bookings | A percentage fee applied to direct or OTA reservations. |
Setup & implementation | One-time fees for system setup, training, data migration, and onboarding. |
Interface/connection fees | Charges for integrating third-party tools (e.g. channel managers, CRMs, POS, RMS). |
Advanced revenue management tools | AI-driven pricing optimization, forecasting, and demand modeling—typically a premium module. |
Integrated channel manager | Replaces third-party systems, syncing rates and availability across OTAs and direct channels. |
Built-in booking engine | Enables direct bookings on your website, helping bypass OTA commissions. |
Integrated CRM & marketing automation | Provides personalized guest messaging, segmentation, and lifecycle marketing tools. |
Full-service implementation & onboarding | Includes dedicated success managers, white-glove onboarding, and hands-on configuration. |
Premium support tiers | 24/7 live support, priority issue resolution, and dedicated account management. |
Multi-property and enterprise features | Centralized dashboards, shared inventory, and reporting for hotel groups or portfolios. |
Custom integrations or API access | Enables custom tech stack setups or connections to internal tools and databases. |
Vendors offering these premium features typically bundle them into higher-tier plans, resulting in per-room pricing at the upper end of the market. If you don’t need these advanced capabilities, you may be able to save significantly by choosing a more streamlined PMS.
For most cloud-based systems, implementation takes approximately 1 to 3 weeks, depending on several key factors: the number of reservations that need to be imported and whether your team or the vendor will handle the import; the number of rooms and properties you need to configure; and any customizations required for your operations or workflows.
Typical Implementation Steps
Setup | Configure rooms, room types, rate plans, policies, and user access |
Data migration | Import existing and future reservations (some vendors offer services to assist) |
Verification and testing | Implementation coach may assist with review and training setup |
Go live | Connect your booking engine and channels—no downtime if implementation is handled properly |
Most quality PMS platforms also provide access to a video training library and a searchable knowledge base to support onboarding and new staff.
Why setup matters. A successful implementation requires an initial investment of time to configure your property properly—but this setup has a direct impact on long-term operational efficiency.
Setup Task | Long-Term Benefit |
---|---|
Defining cancellation policy |
Enforces consistent rules and reduces manual work |
Customizing rate plans | Enables better yield management |
Setting up user permissions | Ensures operational security and control |
Purchasing a new PMS is an investment of time and resources, but the opportunity cost of staying on an outdated system can be significant. A modern PMS can improve the guest experience by reducing manual errors (like overbookings), boost occupancy by connecting your inventory to your booking engine and channel managers, and increase profitability by enabling dynamic rate adjustments across all channels based on market conditions.
Real-world impact: Hotels that switch to a modern cloud PMS report an average 15% profit margin increase within three months—more than covering the cost and effort of migration.
Thanks to the constant development of hotel PMS (Property Management System) technology, hoteliers will be able to enjoy numerous innovations in the future, such as new functions and optimization modules, which drastically increase operational efficiency. The ultimate goal is to significantly facilitate daily operations and improve the guest experience.
Therefore, the upcoming trends in property management software for hotels will turn the tide of business and thus make it easier for hoteliers.
API technologies refer to open API platforms and the transition to the cloud, which allows easier access, better connection of multiple modules, and faster data transfer.
APIs enable hotels to manage real-time data through property management system (PMS) integration with customer relationship management (CRM) tools and third-party service providers. Thus, hotels provide their guests with accurate information about room availability and prices and simplify the management of reservations on multiple platforms.
Plus, by introducing mobile apps for faster access to hotel services, guests can have easier check-in/check-out processes. Here's what this could mean for your hotel...
1. Dynamic personalization across the guest journey. PMS integrations with CRM, upselling, and guest feedback tools will enable real-time personalization—offering specific room upgrades or amenities based on a guest’s loyalty tier, preferences, and behavior in real time.
2. Unified command centers for multi-property brands. Instead of jumping between siloed systems, hoteliers will manage bookings, revenue, guest messaging, and inventory across multiple hotels through a centralized interface powered by interconnected APIs.
3. Self-configuring tech stacks. Hotels will be able to plug-and-play new third-party tools (e.g. POS, housekeeping, wellness booking apps) without lengthy onboarding or development cycles—automatically syncing relevant data to the PMS in real time.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and data science will greatly automate and facilitate the day-to-day tasks of hoteliers, such as reservations, check-ins and check-outs, guest room allocation, revenue management, guest services (chatbots and e-concierges), and demand forecasting.
The power of the technology lies in advanced machine learning algorithms that analyze massive amounts of data and thus enable computers to learn from data, identify patterns, and make predictions. Additionally, chatbots and virtual assistants play a vital role in the hotel industry as they offer 24/7 customer support. Here's what this could mean for your hotel...
1. Autonomous revenue management. PMSs will continuously analyze demand signals, competitor pricing, events, and weather to dynamically adjust rates—without human input—while ensuring alignment with business goals.
2. Predictive staffing and scheduling. The PMS will forecast occupancy trends and automatically build optimized staffing schedules for housekeeping, front desk, and F&B operations based on forecasted guest behavior.
3. Proactive guest service orchestration. AI will detect service friction before it happens (e.g., late check-in, delayed housekeeping, room type mismatch) and trigger workflows to notify staff, compensate guests, or reassign tasks—all automatically.
Smart technologies such as room controls, IoT (Internet of Things)-based facial recognition, and the implementation of sensors and other smart devices that are connected to each other are an inextricable link to the hotel's main operations center as it enables real-time monitoring and management.
For example, IoT-based innovations can make the check-in process much easier and can provide security with contactless access to rooms and amenities.
There are also the benefits of mobile phones that play a key role in the daily work of hoteliers because they can communicate directly with guests and make reservations in just a few clicks. Easy for employees, and even more so for guests. Here's what this could mean for your hotel...
1. Sensor-driven housekeeping automation. Motion or door sensors will notify the PMS when rooms are vacant, automatically reassigning housekeeping tasks based on real-time occupancy—not static schedules.
2. Contactless smart room orchestration. Guests will adjust lighting, temperature, TV, and room service directly from a mobile device or voice assistant, with the PMS capturing preferences and triggering upsell offers.
3. On-property behavior mapping. Using facial recognition and mobile app tracking (with consent), the PMS will tailor in-stay offers based on where a guest goes—such as offering a spa promotion after a gym visit or suggesting late checkout when occupancy is low.
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